Corruption Garden
by Ephemeral Sanity
Summary: A small band of adventurers trek through a desolate landscape towards their goal... A mysterious object in the Altera ruins. Little do they know what or whom they are searching for holds the key to unlocking the bloody mysteries that destroyed Elrios. It was a seed of corruption that grew into a flower of hate, which fed a bloodstained garden of misery. ElsEve! HIGH T RATING!
1. Prologue of the Epilogue

**Hello people! This is Breathless here reporting with a new story! "Corruption Garden" which I had decided to name after said song because it heavily inspired me to write this fanfic! I'm also aiming for some VERY high quality writing here… at least trying to aim =w=; But without further ado! Here is the story info!**

**Credits**

"**Corruption Garden"**

**Author: Breathless Blade**

**Beta Reader (Kudos for reading through all this schlop that is passed off as fanfiction =w=;): Rosamanelle... Uhm... Rosa... if you're reading this... Gomenasai... I promise to let you edit the next chapter... I am just eager for the debut of my new story =w=; Uh... I guess I can also say, this is to let you know what you're getting into to? O_O  
**

**Pairings: Hmm… This is difficult… I really wouldn't classify it as 'romance' but I guess here is the hinted pairings- Strong ElsEve, Strong EleRen, Reve friendship, Cheve friendship, ElsAi friendship, Mild Reven interaction, Mild Chara interaction.**

**Classes: Hmm… Not telling *Troll face***

**WARNING- VERY HIGH T RATING: Reader discretion is advised, the following story contains: Graphic violence, explicit language, mild sexual content, character death, and sensitive themes such as prostitution, domestic abuse, alcoholism, betrayal, etc. **

**Inspiration Source: "Corruption Garden" FEAT. Luka Megurine **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Elsword or any of its characters. **

**Enjoy this story! ^w^**

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**Corruption Garden**

**Prologue of the Epilogue**

* * *

Everything was perfectly still in the barren wasteland. The air hung, stagnant and heavy, choking out all life that made futile attempts to survive. Watching the exiguous stalks of green with a mocking air, were the burned out skeletons of trees, once strong, proud and verdant; now thin, crumbling, and destitute. Feeble rays of sunshine occasionally broke through the monochromatic barrier of smog and steely grey clouds; illuminating the spongy spores of dead life and dust as they twirled idyllically through the air.

Breaking through the solemn air were eight figures, swathed in achromatic cloaks with deep cowls that obscured their eyes, and masks; pitch-black in colour, that covered their bottom faces, protecting them from the toxic air.

"Are we there yet?" This gripe came from a young female, who was radiating an aura of exhaustion and boredom. Hearing his complaint, the others sighed and rolled their eyes, thoroughly annoyed with her complaining antics; after all, she had been the one so eager to come out and observe the newly discovered artifact. Of course, she had assumed that they would be traversing the desolate landscape of Elrios in a more glamorous fashion than trekking through the burned-out shells of forests, and purifying the foul, viscous sludge waters that oozed its way lazily across the river bends and when necessary, their own urine for water to drink.

The tallest one growled, a low, guttural, beastly noise that sounded more like a wild animal than a person. "Shut up, you were the one who was so insistent on schlepping here." He spat and gave her a fierce glare, his narrowed yellow eyes, demonic and savage. A soft sigh escaped the lips of the male standing right next to him. Gently, he placed a hand on the tallest's shoulder and gently squeezed it in a gesture of warning.

"Easy Raven… I'm sure Aisha is sick of having to eat dehydrated food and drink piss…" He added those last words with a thin smile, albeit no one could see it. Primitive yellow eyes met warm, honeyed amber eyes, as Raven gave Aren an acerbic death glare. Opening his mouth to give Aren a harsh retort, he was stopped by a woman with flawless, gradient eyes of emerald. "Please, no fighting, I'm sure we're all tired; however we only have a little ways left to go."

Raven snorted and flexed his left arm. Sullenly glaring at the obsidian plates and fiery red spikes that jutted out from the arm; wishing that he didn't have to tag along with these annoyances. Granted, everything had been fine and dandy the first few days; however, as the expedition to observe the mysterious artifact recently discovered in the ruins of the once flying city-Altera, dragged on; everybody's patience, energy, and enthusiasm had melted away like ice cream on a hundred degree day.

That's when everybody had started wearing thin on Raven's nerves.

He himself was sick of having to drink sludge and piss purified by basic technology. He was tired of having to soak each meal in recycled water before eating it. He wished he could stop wearing this stupid face mask as it retained heat and moisture, making his face sweaty; not to mention by now, he surely had dragon's breath. The monotonous sea of black and grey was starting to give him a headache.

And he positively wanted to murder the other members of the expedition by now.

"Ok…" A young female with dulcet golden eyes much like her brother's; reached into an old, battered knapsack made of synthetic brown leather which was finally starting to show its age. Pulling out a precisely folded square of yellowing paper, she stopped her shambling gait and plopped down on a charred tree stump; giving her crying leaden legs much needed rest. Everyone followed suite, wiping the sweat off their brow, and giving their own screaming muscles some needed time to recuperate.

Humming a light, jaunty tune, Ara unfurled the square and contemplated the map attentively; attempting to deduce the remaining miles they had to travel.

"What does the map say?" A young man with wide, expressive ruby eyes that held an impish glint to them enquired. He bowed his head down, causing the two thin ponytails on each side to sway forward with the movement.

Ara cocked her head to the left and narrowed her eyes, gently masticating her bottom lip. "Altera is about another thirty miles away." She informed; eliciting a vociferous chorus of disparaging moans from everyone.

"No! I don't think I can take another thirty miles of hell!" Aisha wailed loudly and collapsed to her knees, raising a despairing hand to the gloomy heavens.

"Oh shut the fuck up you little cunt! If you weren't so damn insistent on coming out here we wouldn't be living like fucking hobos!" Raven snarled, spittle wildly flying out of his mouth, and stood up in one angry motion. Aisha huffed indignantly and rose to her feet, narrowing her amethyst orbs.

"What…did…you…say?" She hissed in a low tone, dripping with unbridled vehemence as she stared down the older, more muscular, and physically adept man. Raven snorted and held his mutated arm out in front of him, flicking Aisha the middle finger, making her absolutely livid. "I said that." He drawled lazily and narrowed his eyes, giving Aisha a smug, contemptuous look. The verdant eyed woman's eyebrows came crashing down above her eyes as she gave Raven and Aisha portending stare.

"Why you half-mutated freak!" Aisha screeched and clenched her fists together; glowering at Raven with utmost derision. The savage look in Raven's yellow eyes vanished and was replaced by a look of hurt at the cruel quip for just a nanosecond. Instantly however, it was dropped in favor of an incensed expression; his lean, muscular frame trembling with suppressed fury.

With juddering hands; he undid a couple of leather straps, coarse white linen falling to the ground as he slowly held out a cruel jagged blade of stygian black, murderous blood-red markings etched onto the blade. "Say that again little girl and you die…" He said in a barely audible whisper.

However, to the others who were watching the scene unfold with a mixture of amusement, fascination, dread, and frustration; it was louder than any screamed curses or bellowed threats. Raven sounded dead serious and whenever he had that tone…

He fully intended to carry out whatever he had said, whether it be helpful or hurtful.

Aisha shrunk back a little bit, her eyes growing wide, before she regained her composure and narrowed her eyes. Her mask's surface subtly shifting as her lips drew themselves into a thin smirk. She slowly held out a leather clad hand and quickly murmured an incomprehensible phrase in the language of the ancient civilization, Belka.

"_Yakeru."_

In response, gently dancing tongues of flame wrapped themselves around the mage's hand, causing the air around her to distort as a shimmering wave of heat was emanated from the hand.

Taking Aisha's spell as confirmation of battle, Raven locked eyes with the mage for a split second.

Then he lunged, his sword glinting as he swung it forward, aiming for Aisha's heart.

Fast as a storm breeze, the verdant eyed woman streaked forward, ripping a graceful blade of silver out of its sheath. Swinging her foot out, she knocked Aisha to the ground, provoking a startled yelp from the befuddled mage, and gracefully twirled towards Raven's direction, whipping her sword out and intercepting his own savage attack in a shower of sparks; locking the two into a stalemate.

A soft hiss escaped Raven's clenched teeth as he withdrew from the stalemate, glaring acrimoniously at Aisha, whose hood had fallen off her, revealing tousled lavender hair, subdued into two low-hanging ponytails. "Rena…" Raven grumbled and trudged over to where the linen cloth rested on the forest floor in a crumbled heap.

Rena sucked in her breath before exhaling slowly, counting to ten before she dared speak, lest she might lose her temper and "accidentally" leave Raven unable to make babies. A young male whose messy blonde strands brushed the top of his eyelids made his way over to Aisha, the worry clearly evident in his cerulean eyes.

"Don't you dare 'Rena' me, Raven." Rena hissed and slammed the sharp end of her sword into a charred tree, serrating the rock-hard trunk. The smooth ruby cabochons adorning the hilt glimmering as a thick cloud moved overhead, allowing a couple scant rays of sunshine to break through the dreary wall. Raven snorted and shot Rena a somewhat regretful look as he swaddled his blade back up in the linen and hefted it over his shoulder, securing it back into place with the leather straps.

Despondently sighing, Rena ripped her blade out of the tree and sheathed it.

_Only thirty more miles… and then a hundred and sixty back the other way…_

Her lips thinned into a bitter line at the thought.

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**And I present you with another short weabbo chapter! Oh my El am I lazy or what?! Can't even produce a decent story… what the hell is wrong with me? Aafga;hfahga;h;hah *Smashes head into the keyboard* I PROMISE you next chapter will be longer! OAOb I PROMISE! So yeah… if this chapter didn't turn out a horribly convoluted mess and you actually liked it, feel free to leave a review! Flamers will be subject to a long rant on how pathetic you are before I brutally murder you via Unlimited Blade Works! Sayonara my dear friends! **


	2. Epilogue of the Prologue

**I'm sorry Rosa… I don't think I'm cut out to have a beta reader. You're an amazing, god-like author with vast talent; however… I'm way too impatient Q.Q I hope that you still enjoy the story!**

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**Corruption Garden**

**Epilogue of the Prologue**

* * *

At long last, the outline of the Altera ruins had come into the sight of the weary band of adventurers.

Broken pillars of stainless steel rose up from the ground, breaking the homochromous horizon into a million little pieces, as the group drew closer to their destination; they took note of the jagged columns of rock that jutted straight up from the ground. The air was still and the city a hollow, solemn ghost. Once a high-tech utopia, a gem hanging in the sky; now a mountain of broken steel and sharp rocks.

It was even more ominous than the ruins of the other great cities: Hamel, Elder, Sander and so on. This was the homeland of the Nasod's- a race of sentient AI's who were built by the Childas, way back when Elrios was still young. They had developed a conscious and although they had been built as no more than mere slaves for the Childas, they had revolted and rescinded a large portion of Childian civilization, by making an unstable alliance with the Belkans who were at the time, pestilent enemies of the Childians.

A classic feud of ancient magic vs. advanced technology.

A classic example of how prideful and arrogant the ancient civilizations were.

It was that war that wiped out both of the ancient civilizations; though the Belkans had allied with the Nasod's, they viewed them as Childians due to them being constructed by Childa. That was there fatal mistake. Belka's rival- Childa was annihilated and scattered all over Elrios; that left just the Nasods between Belka and unequivocal superiority. It was too tempting of an offer; it was the forbidden fruit they shouldn't have plucked off the tree. It was the start of everything and the very beginning of the downwards spiral towards the end.

It was the snake, their own ambition whispering in their ear that enticed the Belkans to pluck the fruit off the tree. It was their own insidious aspirations of ruling Elrios that sent them on the same path as the Chidians. For the gods are not kind towards those who are pervasive in ignoring their warnings, they are scornful of those who are supercilious, and they will always find a way to punish those who are brazen enough to challenge the will of the gods.

That is what caused the first Silent Night.

However, humanity recovered and the Nasods gradually forgave it and started to work side by side; however… bad blood and bitter memories lied just beneath the surface, a sleeping leviathan poised to wake up and obliterate everything in its path. One day, it was angered and it woke up, bringing back a roiling stew of resentments, grudges, and iniquitous wishes

The small band of explorers knew all that however. What they were interested in was not about what actually happened, but how… Who planted that seed of corruption? Who nurtured that seed until it grew into a decadent flower of hate? Who tended to the bloodstained garden until it became too much and choked out everything left?

What were the events leading up to the Final Silent Night?

Though the naïve lambs who had wandered into the eerie, ethereal realm of Altera, a place where the skeletons of the dead still remained among the dilapidated ruins of the derelict city; they were blissfully unaware that the key to unraveling that horrid web of blood, betrayal, and abuse was right there; lying, cataleptic in a suspension pod.

Her name was Eve.

* * *

"These ruins are ginormous… It would take days to explore even a tenth of these thoroughly…" The cerulean eyed Chung marveled and tilted his head backwards, causing his hood to slip off him, revealing a spiky mop of blonde with russet tipped tufts sticking out slightly to the side. The ruins towered over him, stretching towards the heavens as far as the eye could see. Raven snorted and dispassionately kicked the titanium skull of a lone Nasod off its neck, amusing himself by using it like a soccer ball; earning a reproachful glare from Aisha.

"We're just here to investigate whatever the expedition team before had unearthed; not to make any El-shattering discoveries of our own." A woman with sharp, fiery eyes that flickered between shades of red like dancing ruby flames, and side swept strands of cerise that partially obscured her right eye. Aren nodded and took his hood off, revealing silken black locks that were secured into a low-hanging ponytail and long side-bangs that framed his heart-shaped face. "Indeed Elesis." He said and dipped his head down in agreement.

Elesis snorted, voicing her approval and turned to the younger, red-headed male- Elsword, her younger brother. "Do you have that book of runes on handy?" The crimsonette enquired and pursed her lips somewhat, albeit no one could see it. Elsword nodded and took off his own achromatic hood, revealing a neatly spiked shock of red and a thin ponytail in the back, subdued by a haphazardly plaited band of crisp white linen. Elsword nodded and reached into his own black duffel bag, drawing out a bulky, grimy tome with a faded leather cover of burgundy.

Wrinkling his nose; the crimson head carefully flipped through the pages, cringing each time the grubby book left black streaks on his fingers. It was an ancient tome; priceless and chock full of invaluable knowledge; however it had been salvaged from the Hamelian ruins and had a despondent appearance as a result. Ara hummed a cordial tune, adventurous and vivacious, any other time the gang would've bobbed their heads in time with the music; however, in their enervated state; Ara had to duck in order to dodge a titanium skull that was aimed at her head.

"Shut the hell up… That shit's annoying." Raven snarled and gave the ebonette a scathing glare. Ara pouted and crossed her arms. "Douche bag…" She muttered. Raven hissed softly and opened his mouth to give Ara an acerbic retort; however, an ominous glare from Rena restrained the venomous stream of insults that he had on the tip of his tongue.

"Are we going?" Elesis enquired testily, impatiently rapping her booted toes against the squalid stainless-steel ruin she was standing on. Aisha nodded in agreement with the crimsonette's complaint. "Yeah, we should get going, not drag this expedition out any longer than it's been here." She stated in the self-aggrandizing manner that was all-so-typical of her. Everyone nodded and dusted themselves off; Elsword shoving the book back into his duffel bag.

"So Ara, where is it that we're supposed to be heading towards?" Chung enquired and took off his own hood, feeling rather sticky and uncomfortable; revealing messy, spiked hair with two russet-tipped tufts that flared out slightly. Ara hummed some more, provoking a low, drawn-out growl from Raven.

"Let's see…" Ara chirped and withdrew the map from her bag. Narrowing her honeyed eyes, she scanned over the map. "Ah there… about one mile north of us is the ruin we're looking for. According to the notes that have been inscribed here, the structure is fairly big." The ebonette informed. A brusque nod from Rena informed Ara that everyone had understood what had been told.

Elesis jumped off the steel structure she had been perched on, her hood falling off her with the movement; her thick, crimson ponytail flaring out behind her as she gracefully descended to the earth, landing lightly on her feet like a cat. Giving everyone an impish look, she nonchalantly flexed her shoulders and cantered her hips sassily.

"Well, let's go check that hunk of junk out."

* * *

Everyone stopped and stare, gawking at the immense ruin that towered before them. From afar, it looked like several jagged pillars of steel; however, up close, it was relatively well preserved and it resembled something that most of the gang had only seen in fairy tales and history books.

"Wow… an actual castle that is remarkably whole… incredible…" Chung trailed weakly, his voice a mingle of awe and respect. Raven just snorted disinterestedly and sauntered up to the towering door, which was inscribed with various arcane markings, etched in gold. His harsh yellow eyes sized it up for a moment, before he drew his mutated fist back and threw it forward; ramming into the door with a thunderous thud and making it rattle.

However, it still held.

"What the El was that for you brute?!" Aisha yelped and flapped her arms around like a chaotic windmill. Raven just snorted and flexed his mutated arm. "I thought we were supposed to be checking out these ruins." He retorted dryly and furrowed his brow. "Damn bitch of a door is tough, that actually hurts to punch." He scowled and rubbed his knuckle lightly. Chung gave Raven a censorious look. "I don't think we're supposed to go inside. The investigation team before us obviously didn't and there's probably a reason. Maybe it's dangerous or the air is especially toxic in there…" He reasoned in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Or maybe… they didn't go in there because the bitching door wouldn't open." Raven snarled and shot Chung an acrid glare, causing the cerulean-eyed boy to shrink somewhat. Elesis sighed and threw her arms up to the sky. "Oh forget this!" She groaned and trudged over to the door.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Aisha snapped; eyes wide as she observed Elesis as the crimsonette lifted her hand up; the rune that was embroidered onto her glove glowing a brilliant red. Elesis snorted and snapped her fingers once.

"_Bakuhatsu suru_."

A brilliant flame exploded from Elesis's gloved hand, making the air shimmer and dance around it. "I'm going to blow something up." Elesis stated flatly. Aisha's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped, forming a perfect little "o" of surprise. "Uh… c-can you g-give us some t-time to back up first?" Elsword apprehensively stammered and started to nervously scoot backwards. Elesis gave her younger brother a curt nod. "You have until the count of ten. One…"

Instantly, everyone made a mad dash away from Elesis, fleeing the area like demons fleeing a holy man. Meanwhile, Elesis continued her countdown.

"…Nine… Ten… FIRE!" She screamed and sprang up into the air; lobbing a shapeless mass of intense flames at the door. A blinding flash of light, followed by an earsplitting boom, and finally the foul odour of molten metal permeated the air, eye-wateringly strong and making everyone gag, despite the filtration masks they were wearing.

"Dang –cough- overkill –cough- much?" Elsword hacked in between great shuddering breaths as he reeled from the noxious odour produced by the pile of molten metal, which was hissing and bubbling like some strange, silvery, alien liquid. Elesis smirked and placed her hands on her hips, strangely unfazed by the metallic miasma.

"It got the job done." She stated smugly and held her hand out; beholding the sight of the doorway, now lacking a door. Rena contemplated Elesis with a critical expression before sighing bemusedly and shaking her head, rolling her eyes as she did so. "I suppose you're right." She stated thinly, causing the crimsonette to chuckle.

Making a beckoning gesture towards the door Elesis called out to the others. "Come on!" She cried and stepped through the doorway, hastily the others followed suite.

* * *

The inside of the castle was magnificent, Despite the shattered glass, tattered drapery, and crusty brown splatters that looked ominously like blood; it was easily to visualize the grandeur the room once possessed. The ceiling was high and arched, adorned by several broken crystal chandeliers that still glimmered despite their degraded state. The floors, though dusty, were of marble and at one point, must've been meticulously polished to the point of showing one's reflection. The sweeping grand staircase was covered in a once-lavish red velvet carpet, and the banisters were ivory etched with peeling, gold markings.

Perhaps it was because of the ease that one could visualize the vibrancy and regality of the room that made it so disconcerting and sad. This place, once sparkling and filled with music and finery, was desolate and haunted. Lying here in a state of disrepair, it's half-preserved appearance a tormenting reminder that actual beings once lived here and called this place their home.

Perhaps all of that was contributing to the light, prickling sensation on Chung's neck. Shivering ever so lightly, he drew himself in closer, wrapping his cloak tightly around him. Somehow… he got the feeling that they were being watched, all of them. Seeing Chung's rather disconcerted expression, Rena cocked her head to the side and stared worriedly at him. "Chung… is something the matter?" She enquired.

The cerulean-eyed boy shuddered and shot several tentative glances around the room. "I think… I have the feeling that we're being watched…" He trailed tautly and bit his bottom lip. Raven snorted. "Maybe it's the ghosts here Chung… Oooo! They-" His taunt was cut off as Rena kicked him lightly in the shins. "Stop running your mouth." She snipped and narrowed her verdant eyes, causing Raven to swallow rather loudly as his mouth became as dry as cotton.

Chung was right though… There, in the topmost corner of the grand ballroom was a camera. The filmy crystal lens glinting with a cold light as it scanned the room, sending mental images back to a young girl who was floating weightless in a suspension pod.

* * *

Short silver hair flared up and down in a gentle, almost hypnotic motion as she rose up and down slowly in a monotonic fashion. Pale, powder blue markings adorned her delicate, heart-shaped face and titivating her forehead was a vivid, electric blue sapphire, rimmed in gold. Several wires and tubes protruded from her back, attached to the walls of the suspension pod in a rather tangled fashion. Around her neck was a thin silver chain, an adroitly crafted sword studded with a blood-red ruby dangling from the chain.

Slowly, the silverette processed the images she was receiving.

_Ah… so the soul stream has finally made its run… They're here… Funny how time goes round in circles… _She mused and lifted her head, her eyelids fluttering open, revealing amber orbs that shone through the blue-tinged, syrupy liquid that filled the suspension pod.

An image flashed by of Raven, Chung, and Elsword who were locked into a heated argument about something.

_My friends are here…_

A warm smile crossed her thin, rosy pink lips. Abruptly, the image flashed out of the silverette's vision and was replaced by a picture of the affable Aren, who had drifted to the royal library and was poring over a faded, dusty scroll. Instantly, she dropped her smile in favor of a caustic frown. She gnashed her teeth together and bared them in a vicious scowl, digging her nails into the pale flesh of her palms until little crescents of blood formed.

_And so is the one at fault for everything! _

Her mind raced, flooding itself with gory, horrific images of the Final Silent Night; before shooting back in time to the betrayal which had provoked it all.

Hear this tale and weep… For it is a sad story, for there is no good or evil. Neither side is guilty but there is also no innocence.

Because things are never black and white, no matter what the fairy tales may say.

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**Woot! Longer chapter than normal! Still fell about 600 words short of my 3k word goal (Not including ANS) but I made some progress in terms of lengths! Here are my replies to my lovely reviewers!**

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**Mario FireRed- I sent you my reply by PM… I thought you'd be my only reviewer… that's why I did that X3 But still; I'm glad that you enjoyed this story!**

**Rosamanelle: If you don't kill me for my impatience I'll probably glomp you over and over. You don't know how psyched I am that you enjoy this story! Yeah! You got all the classes right save for Aren and for confirmation, Chung is DC… Els is RS; however, there is an IS on the cover for a VERY good reason… pay attention and you might be able to figure some things out! ;3 My vocab and description is good? Wha? O_O Oh yeah… Aren is a SD right now… things will change… for this is a story where nothing is what it seems *Shot* Wait… You heard of F/ SN? OwO YAY! Finally an El writer who heard of it! YAY! :DDD Gilgamesh is my favorite character! Who is yours? ;3**


	3. Alpha of Omega

**Corruption Garden**

**Alpha of Omega**

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The sun rose over the kingdom of Altera, splashing vivid warm hues on the inky canvas of royal purple, and burning away the misty fog that covered the kingdom. The emerald grass glittered in the rising sun as the crystal beads of dew adorning them, glittered. In response to the warm light, several roosters who were nestling in their rickety wooden coops crowed loudly, their raucous cries mingling with the insistent chattering of the crickets, and breaking the relative silence of the night.

Daybreak has finally came to Altera, none to soon according to a particular silverette. With a tetchy expression on her face, Eve –the young heiress of the Alterian kingdom- rapped her ebon-booted toes impetuously against the polished marble. Any time now, he better not be late. Those were the young heiress's exact thoughts as she leaned lazily against the ivory banister, patiently (or rather impatiently) waiting for the military commander of the militant kingdom of Velder and a good friend of her family –Raven- to arrive and whisk her away for her weekly trip out of the castle.

Tentatively hovering near the tenacious heiress was Eve's lady-in-waiting, eyeing her with a somewhat reproachful look. "Relax Eve; I'm sure he'll be here." She chided lightly, earning a petulant glare from Eve.

"Apple, Raven promised he'd be here by dawn, as of now, he's four minutes late." She retorted cantankerously causing Apple to sigh and adjust her gauzy rose-pink shawl. "Eve, Raven is an important figure and as such, he has far more important duties than attending to you." She explained in a rather pretentious tone, eliciting a scathing glare from the silverette.

With a bitter expression on her face, Eve smoothed out the long ebon skirt of her dress and shifted around restlessly. "Well Raven ought to remember that Altera helps pay for Velder's military and whatnot." She replied dourly and shot a glance at the two drones that were hovering around her. The lady-in-waiting sighed and opened her mouth in preparation for another retort; however she was interrupted by the presence of a familiar figure.

A man with tanned skin, amber eyes, and long stygian black hair haphazardly secured into a low-hanging ponytail strolled into the ballroom where the two ladies were waiting. Clad in a rather rugged black military outfit, his appearance instantaneously indicated that he was not from Altera; however the most peculiar thing about him was his left arm, which was plated in jet-black metal, the little vents in the arm illuminated with a flickering orange light, like the frenzied dancing of a raging wildfire. Despite his defined features, which contributed to his stoic expression, an impish light in his amber orbs instantly let the young heiress know that he most likely had arrived late in order to tick her off somewhat.

"There you are Raven! Where in all El were you?!" Eve pushed herself off the gleaming banister and stormed over to where Raven was standing, her slightly spiked strands of silver flaring out behind her as she did so. A thin smirk broke through Raven's composed features as he adjusted the cerise headband that partially subdued his shaggy black bangs.

"I'm the military commander of a currently military-governed kingdom; I think you're smart enough to put two and two together miss." He replied dryly, eliciting an indignant huff from the silverette.

The rosy-clad Apple sighed bemusedly and dipped her head, the pastel-pink protein strands swaying forward as she did so. "Raven, please stop teasing the girl; I swear by all El, she was about ready to rip your head off if you arrived any later." She replied wearily. Raven's eyes grew wide in mock surprise as he put his arms up in the air; hamming up his reaction to Apple's statement for all that it was worth.

"I wasn't teasing her, I was stating a fact." His words were guileless but his tone made Apple throw her arms up in the air with an agitated expression.

"Oh my- I give up!" She yelped frustrated and stormed up the marble staircase, the short rosebud pink skirt of her dress violently swaying each time one of her high-heeled shoes slammed into the velvet draped stairs.

Raven sighed and inadvertently traced the scar that marred his eyebrow as he watched the incensed Apple ascend the stairs. "My, she should learn to take a joke." He muttered peevishly and diverted his attention back to Eve, who looked torn as to whether she should be amused or agitated.

"Apple never had a good sense of humor." The young heiress stated flatly and cocked her head to the side. The snowy-white drone hovered closer to her, making soft little beeping noises. Raven grimaced and tugged at the crow-feather that adorned the thin silver chain that hung around his neck, as he stared at the scintillating gilded chandelier that dangled from the ceiling. "Some people need to understand that it is ok to let go once and a while. I understand it's not appropriate to act like a fool all the time, but once in a while has never hurt anyone." He mused gratuitously, sounding somewhat miffed.

Eve just snorted and narrowed her elegant amber eyes, radiating the regal aura of a queen who has had enough of waiting for something. "Can we leave now?" She snapped abruptly, shattering Raven's train of thought.

Raven shot a bemused look at Eve, seeing himself being reflected in the flawless sapphire that adorned Eve's forehead, before allowing a thin smile to cross his lips. "Ah, why are you so impatient?" He enquired rhetorically, fully knowing the answer.

Eve frowned petulantly and flipped her sinuous silver locks. "You know full well Raven that you were late, therefore cutting into my precious time away from the castle. Also, the week after next, I have to attend the birthday of Prince Chung of Hamel, so I'll be missing a trip that week." She answered needlessly in an acidic tone, making Raven groan loudly.

"Whatever you say…" He deadpanned and turned around, motioning for Eve to follow him. Eve hastily nodded her head and streaked after him, her two monochromatic shaded drones rapidly in pursuit of her, as Raven made his way out of the castle, keeping his pace at a brisk walk.

_How in all El did I wind up saddled with her? _

It wasn't that Raven disliked the princess of Altera, but he was a simple man that had ascended to his lofty position through his own talents alone. Due to that, he was generally condemnatory of nobility, royalty, and hierarchies in general. He did not forget that it was the Royals and their obstinate determination to identify with their ancient roots whether it be Belkan, Childian, or Nasod, that had caused the great war that nearly wiped out humanity and caused several conflicts on a smaller scale.

Though technically, Childian and Belkan cultures were "annihilated", they were still prevalent and a source of tension. The former king of Velder had made the grave mistake of attempting to force the people of Velder to adhere to Belkan customs, while in reality, most if not all of the citizens identified themselves with Childa. It was that harsh oppression of Childian customs that had ignited a violent revolution that overthrew the King of Velder and caused many dukes and barons to have their land seized.

In the end, Velder's size had swelled exponentially, but it had been left impoverished, unable to maintain the land and without the tools to exploit the land's resources and rid themselves of their predicament. In Velder's darkest hour, the prosperous kingdom of Altera reached out to the collapsing kingdom and helped rebuilt it, albeit it had come at some hefty costs.

Though Velder had kept the illusion of maintaining independence, it was in all retrospect a vassal nation and a providence of Altera. A fact made all the more prominent by the absence of a king; instead Velder was controlled by a militia who was entirely dependent on the support of the Alterian king in order to keep the kingdom running.

To sum it up simply, Raven was at the mercy of a young girl who was no bigger than a mosquito's bite. Though she had a relatively cool personality and was less conniving than most authority figures he had encountered, that did little to alleviate his fears. Despite all that, Raven couldn't resist the urge to tease her every now and then.

The airship station was a bustling blur of various noises, colours, and scents to the Alterian heiress. Though she had been here several times, each time something was different than before, making it a fresh and exciting change from the monotonic, if lavish, lifestyle she was so accustomed to. Today for example, the vender who peddled off candied pralines to the people here was gone, and in his place was an elderly woman with a friendly face and milky eyes. She was selling skillfully crafted bracelets made out of steel thread and studded with glassy beads that glinted each time a light source hit it.

Eve briefly paused and looked around, trying to take in everything at once. For her efforts, she was rewarded with an excruciating headache due to her systems being overloaded from all the various sounds, scents, and sights. She was a royalty and as such, she was not made to handle having all five of her scents attacked at once.

The cool morning air wrapped itself around her, causing her to shudder softly…

The smoky scent of barbecue, mixed with the acrid stench of airship fuel, and a myriad assortment of other scents filled her delicate nose, making the silverette's eyes water…

Various peddles shouting out as to what their goods were, competed with the noise of crying children and the avid chattering of several bands of women…

The warm scent of cinnamon sugar danced on her tongue, while the foul odour of the fuel coated her mouth with a filmy layer of bitterness…

And various people clothed in various styles ranging from sumptuous silks to tattered rags converged all around her. In the sky, the colossal shadows of the airships lazily sailed around, blocking out the sun for brief spells.

Too much…

Too much sensory overload…

A mind numbing dizzy spell swept over Eve and she felt very light, like her soul was being ripped from her body. Her body went slack and her eyelids fluttered shut, she would've collapsed outright on the ground if a strong pair of hands hadn't been there to support her.

"You little idiot! What do you think you're doing? We're going to miss our flight!" Raven's deep baritone reprimanded her harshly, snapping Eve's soul back into her body. Regaining her strength, the young heiress staggered to her feet and gave the military leader an acrid stare.

"I was just looking around, normally you're in such a rush I'm barely able to see anything!" She huffed testily and crossed her arms. Raven snorted and shook his head, his ponytail whipping around as he did so. "Well what makes you think today was any different?" He snapped sounding incensed. Eve stuck her nose up into the air, feeling somewhat ruffled by Raven's rapid change in mood. Bipolar, much?

"Well, since you obviously deigned yourself to have enough time to come late…" She started, but was abruptly cut off as Raven grabbed her left arm with his own. A startled yelp escaped Eve as the sharp claws dug into her flesh, leaving a nasty red welt and eliciting a stream of various insults from the piqued heiress.

"Why you brute! Manhandling me like this!" She yelped as Raven weaved through a crowd of people, dragging the silverette as he did so. "I have an important meeting to attend and I CANNOT be late." Raven replied dourly, placing extra emphasis on the word "cannot". Eve scowled in response to Raven's reply.

"Then don't be late…" She mumbled petulantly under her breath. Raven just pretended that he didn't hear her and continued to drag her along like a sack of potatoes until the two came to a large airship.

The intimidating steel and wood structure loomed over them, dwarfing all the peddler stands and casting a deep shadow on the ground, cloaking everything in darkness. On the side of the ship was a massive emblem, the adroitly etched carving accented in glimmering silver. Raven heaved a relieved sigh, all too glad that he hadn't missed his flight and released his death grip on Eve. Promptly, Eve raised her hand back before letting it fly forward and colliding with Raven's cheek. Startled, Raven yelped loudly and nearly fell of the platform, but was caught by Eve's drones before he could plunge to the earth, eight miles below.

"What in all El was that for?!" Raven snapped and rubbed his cheek, looking considerably paler than before. Eve glowered malevolently at him and narrowed her amber eyes into slits. "Don't you dare manhandle me again or else, I'll make sure my drones don't bother to catch you." She said in a low voice that made the air temperature plunge downwards, making Raven's breath condense into little puffs of wispy steam.

Slowly, Raven nodded and gulped his mouth as dry cotton before opening it to reply.

"Ok… can we just get on the damned ship now?"

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**And that concludes CG CH3! I'm sorry for such a looong wait, but EA was doing so well, and school started and such… But here I am! Next is either an update for EA or YNT! And then my new story Iconoclast before I return to this story! *Shot* I had to make Raven into a jerk this chapter… He's ok, but Raven is always prone to extreme bouts of moodiness… I think the characters were OOC though in this chapter… but can I justify it saying it's a different life? *Shot* I think this chapter was a bit "meh" but at least I managed to squeeze an update out of me! But I'm just sooo happy about how some of my other stories are doing EA in particular… 30 reviews for 5 chapters! *Dances around* But remember to R&R this story for love and constructive criticism. I got some advice from an author on skype chat and I tried to incorporate it, however… eh… Here are my replies to my lovely reviewers! :D**

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**Rosamanelle- Yes, the necklace is from IS… you got that right X3 Have you** **heard of the remake of the Fate/ Stay Night anime by a prestigious studio? I hope they go for the Heaven's Feel route… poor Sakura though… she did NOT deserve that… :L Saber Alter is boss though… Gil and Saber? My, my… you have good taste in characters X3 You only watched the anime? You should check out the VN, it's INCREDIBLE**

**Archious- I'm glad you loved this :3 Here's your update! :D**

**LadiesOfBlood- My vocabulary is exotic? You aren't the first to remark on it X3 I'm glad you reviewed Kiro! :DD Nice to see you here! Here's an update :D… Uh… you're right with RS, PK, NW, RF… but the others were DC, and EM… But everything has changed now. **


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